A pedal assembly of this general type is disclosed in German patent application No. 43 44 386. The pedal mounting support of the prior art pedal assembly is displaced in a collision due to its special shape such that the pedal pivot axle is released and the actuating pedal can be swivelled about the point of articulation of the actuating rod in the direction of the vehicle body wall.
The prior art system suffers from the shortcoming that it does not ensure that, in a crash, both axle bearings will be released simultaneously and uniformly such that a lateral turning away of the actuating pedal is fully effected and, thus, the risk of foot injury due to vehicle body wall deformations is fully eliminated.
An object of the present invention is to provide a brake pedal assembly of the type referred to hereinabove, which offers an optimal behavior in a crash and prevents the actuating pedal from turning away laterally and, thus, eliminating the risk of foot injury.
According to the present invention, this object is achieved because the points of support for the pivot axle are provided by coulisse-type guides, in which the pivot axle is retained by a securing element, which, when moved by the action of a force that is caused in a collision, releases the pivot axle.